A recent Tuesday: As the sun shines over the bay on the first day of the new year, people all around the city prepare for another new beginning. Just as we do at every grand turn of the calendar, we hope the worst is behind us. The holiday hustle is over. The world feels a little quieter again.

Images of lights and shadows suddenly seem symbolic. A seagull shoots out of the sun headed for the heavens. A runner with newfound intentions heads toward a similar light.

It was a New Year's victory just to have walked up the stairs to the church's doors. Six months ago, health problems would have made that impossible. On this day, she counts her blessings as she meditates on the maze, which is lit only by the sun pouring through stained glass above.

"I believe doing something like this, being mindful of hope, can have ripples out into the real world," Quinn said. "It's like connecting yourself to the rest of the world and everyone in it."

Two swans in front of the Palace of Fine Arts pass quietly by each other. Their necks come together to form a heart shape. A few hundred paces away at Crissy Field, Liam Bayer, 34, watches his 8-year-old son build a sand castle at the water's edge.

The boy, Liam Jr., is unfazed when small waves destroy the progress he made. Rebuilding and starting over is a lesson he will no doubt get used to during his lifetime.

"It's a time for rebirth. It's being able to start over again," his father said. "And I think people like that idea."

To see a multimedia production of this piece, go to blog.sfgate.com/cityexposed. If you have ideas for the City Exposed, e-mail Mike Kepka at mkepka@sfchronicle.com